The use of video arcade games which simulate the operation of vehicles, such as race cars and aircraft, for entertainment is becoming widespread. Also, apparatus which simulate the operation of vehicles are increasingly being used as training devices for government and industry vehicle operators. Such apparatus can be programmed to realistically model the motion of a vehicle through two or three-dimensional space, and can also provide relatively realistic simulation of the control of the vehicle. Importantly, training on simulators is safer and more cost-effective than training with real vehicles.
Typically, a vehicle simulator has a computer which displays on a monitor a constantly changing video picture of a simulated three dimensional space. The "view" presented on the monitor is ordinarily the view of the simulated space as would be seen from the driver's seat of the simulated vehicle. Thus, as the simulated vehicle "moves" through the simulated space, the video display is constantly updated by the computer to model the motion of the vehicle.
Preferably, the computer realistically models the simulated space and effects of simulated objects in the space upon the simulated vehicle. For example, in a video-based simulator which models the effects of combat on a simulated vehicle moving through the simulated space, it is desirable to model the effects of the combat on the vehicle and to provide an indication of these effects to the operator of the simulated vehicle.
Ideally, for greater realism, these indications are multi-sensory. In other words, the indications of combat ideally include visual indications, e.g., flashes of light on the monitor to indicate explosions, as well as aural indications (e.g., loud bangs and explosions). Moreover, some vehicle simulators have provided indications of vehicle motion which include tactile indications, e.g., motion of the operator's seat in response to actions of the operator, in order to model the effects of motion on the vehicle.
It is desirable, however, to provide multi-sensory indications of events which do not simply depend on some activity by the operator to initiate the event (e.g., the effects of wind on a speeding vehicle). More particularly, it is desirable to provide multi-sensory indications of events that are initiated by another operator, or the computer. For example, in a combat simulator, when a first operator initiates combat action which affects a second operator's simulated battle platform, it is desirable that multisensory indications of the combat be provided to the second operator. The present invention recognizes that in the combat context, a simulator can initiate jolts or thumps to the seat of the operator, to model the effects of a hit on the operator's simulated vehicle by a projectile fired from another simulated vehicle. Also, the present invention recognizes that a simulator can be provided which can initiate jolts or thumps to the seat of the operator, to model the effects of a collision, induced by a source other than the activities of the operator of the simulated vehicle, between the simulated vehicle and an object.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle simulator which models the effects of combat on a simulated vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vehicle simulator which models the effects of a collision, such as a projectile striking a vehicle, by causing a physical impact on the operator of the simulator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle simulator which is easy to use and cost-effective to manufacture.